Target control device



April 15, 1952 P. E. DAVENPORT TARGET CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 28. 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l PHJLJF zzvmvroza. Z Z ZZ A T TDRNE Y A ril 15, 1952 P. E. DAVENPORT 2,593,117

TARGET CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 28, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN T 0R.

WIWMMMMMWW l \l l Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED' STATES PATENT 4 OFFICE TARGET CONTROL DEVICE Philip E. Davenport, San Leandro, Calif. Application April 28, 1947, SerialNo. 144,453

1 Claim. (01. revs-105.1)

This invention relates to an improved moving target control device and has particular reference to a novel moving target for use in the practice ,of shooting'at mark, affording a most interesting and fascinating amusement and also providingan educational game for those desiring to improve their marksmanship.

The primary object of the present invention is to reflect a moving silhouette target through the medium of a revolving mirror having a silhouette provided thereon and the employing of a suitable light shining through a lens for directing a light beam on thesaid mirror, whereby the image of the silhouette is reflected on a wall, ceiling or screen and is shown in continuous motion as the mirror revolves.

A further object of the present invention is to secure the mirror having the silhouette thereon to a revolving shaft and to provide a spring member for retaining the mirror on the said shaft in a resilient manner, whereby the silhouette image is shown as wobbling and going through various irregular motions in its course of movement around the wall.'

A'Still further object of the present invention is to revolve the said mirror through the medium of a conventional clock spring motor and to provide a manually operated means for stopping the motor.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a moving target device of the character described that is durable, simple in construction, economical to manufacture and highly efficient-and serviceable in use;

Other objects and advantages will be apparent. during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, wherein for the purpose of illustration like numerals designate like parts throughout the same, Fig.1 is a perspective view of the device with certain portions of the housing broken away to illustrate some of the mechanism therein and also shows a person shooting at the reflected target, demonstrating the principle and novelty of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view with the front wall of the housing removed to illustrate the clock spring motor, the gears and batteries within the housing,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 of Fig 2, looking in direction of the arrow, and

Fig. 4is a side elevational view of a flashlight gun employed in the invention and illustrates a method of making an electrical contact with the trigger for operating the flashlight.

Referring in detail to the drawings and to the numerals thereof, the numeral 1 designates as a whole a box-like housing having front and rear sides 8 and 9 respectively, opposite ends I!) and II and a bottoml2. The top l3 of the housing is preferably hingedly secured to one end thereof as at [4 and is substantially fastened tothe opposite end by suitable hooks I5. Thenumeral l6 designates a cylindrical container extending upwardly at an angle from the horizontal wall [1,

which wall is provided with aninsulated projection IB thatis adapted to fit in the container and support the same. "Ifhe light socket I9 is secured into the said projection in any suitable manner. The numeral 20 designates an electric light, which light can be a flashlight adapted to be used in conjunction with electric batteries or can beany suitable electric light operated from a regular line and connected thereto by an electric cord and plug or in any other conventional manner. I J

The present illustration shows the source of electric supply as consisting of'a series ofelectric batteries 2|, 22 and 23 supported on the horizontal wall 24 of the housing and retained in position by the partition 25 and end piece 26. Suitable electric conductor members 21, 28, 29, 30, 3| and 32 are shown toprovidethe means for connecting the series of batteries. to thelight socket l9, a suitable switch 33 controlling the circuit. The said switch 33 and conductors 28 and 29 are preferably secured to the cover l3. Any conventional method well known in the art can be employed for electrically connecting the said batteries to the light.

A suitable lens 34, preferably a magnifying lens, is positioned in front of the light 20 and fixed into the wall of the container l6 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3. A suitable mirror 35 preferably concave in shape, is also fixed to the wall of the container l6 and positioned at the rearof the light 20 and in alignment with the said light and lens, whereby a beam of light is directed on the mirror36 as shown to advantage in Figs. 1 and 3. A cover 31 closes the container It, thus confining the light to the lens. The mirror is preferably fixed on a suitable support or frame 38 which is recessed or split as at 38' for receiving an elongated thin fiat member 39 that is fixed thereto by a suitable screw 40 or a plurality of screws suflicient for securing the parts together. The said elongated flat member 39 is preferably constructed of a thin spring metal for enabling the mirror to wobble during its rotation, but can be a rigid piece if desired and is adjustably mounted in a slotted shaft 4| and secured thereto by a set screw 42. The said shaft 4! is revolvably supported in the front housing wall 8 and the inner vertical wall 43.

The preferred means employed for imparting revolvable movement to the said shaft 4|. and mirror 36 comprises a conventional clock spring motor 44 having a drive shaft 45, which drive shaft 45 is operatively connected to the said .cohductors 58 and 59areprovided a animal, or a flock of fow etc',

3 mirror shaft 36 through the gears 46, 4'! and 48 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3, the said gears being fixed on their respective shaft, the numeral 49 designating the shaft for the idler gear 41. The gears may be of any relative size for obtaining the desired revolving speed of the mirror. The clock spring motor 44 is of the conventional type well known in the art, which motors are constructed to operate at the desired speed. The said motor is secured to the bottom l2 of the housing by suitable bolts 5|]. A control pin 5| slidably mounted in the housing endwall l l engagesthe motor drive shaft gear 46 as shown to advantage in Fig. 2 for stopping the motor and can be disengaged therewith for starting the same. The

,numeral '52 :designates the lrey Tor-winding the motor. The flashlight gun employed'inconjunc- 7 tion with the "moving target device therein described can-bea standard'type or-the flashlight andEmechanism' can be'provided onatoy gun or a regular gun. In the presentillustration the numeral 53designates the gun barrel, 54 the stock spot-type fiashlightclamped to the gun barrel 53 by clamping-bands 51;"i-2Tl'ie1numerals 58 and'59 designate plus, and minus in jsulated electric conductors, respectively, leadingj from the, flashlight to the rear of the trigger 55 and each L the said heirouter extremities with metal contact members '59 wand 60, respectively, that are fixed to the trigger guard and are insulatedtherefrom. When the trigger 55 is-pulled the said members'59 and 60 are contacted; thusclosing the circuit and lighting the spotfiashlight. The said1flashlight can be. fixed 'on the outerextremity of the gun barrel orpositioned in the gun barrel if desired.

V'Thesilhouette'6t is of any suitable materia and can simulate.- an airplane, a deer or'other houetteispositioned on fer'face of the mirror and is preferably 'removably secured -thereon by; a bolt and'nut 62- and 63,respective- .ly, whereby difierent silhouettes can readily be "employed.

lEtilomthei foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawing illustrated in Fig. 1, it

willfbe obviousthat when the device is in oper- "aation'a,1ight-beam 64isdirectedon the mirror 36 :and'the image of the said mirror is reflected on the'ceiling 65orthe wall 66, with theportion blocked-out by the silhouette shown in black.

The revolving of themirror-will cause the image of the silhouette to havea'travelling movement.

, If the mirror vibrates during its revolving movement the image'of the silhouette will be caused to wobble during its travelling movement. If the 1 player, designated by the numeral 61, aims at the moving target image and scores a hit, that portion The said sil- .of thetarget hit will be blocked out with light as shown at 68. Thus an educational and an exceptional fascinating target practice game has been produced.

Itis to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and :that'various changes relative to the shape, size,

material and arrangement of parts maybe resorted; to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: In combinationwith a wall, a target control device of the character described comprising a rectangular housing,- a plurality of gears revolvably supported within the housing, a spring beam on the same and the silhouette thereon,

whereby a reflection of the target image is directed on the Wall and is vibrated when the mirror supported on the said elongated fiat spring is revolved.

PHILIP E. DAVENPORT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ,file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date Number Name 2,023,497 Trammell Dec. 10, 1935 2,042,174 Foisy May 26, 1936 2,139,210 Sauerbier Dec. 6, 1938 2,174,813 Younghusband Oct. 3, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,682 Great Britain A. D. 19l3 

